This archive report was first published on 20 July 2020.
On Saturday night, Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja found himself in a precarious situation, dodging police officers who were seeking to arrest him.
According to reports, Sakaja was being sought to record a statement regarding claims of incitement and breaking curfew after his arrest in a Nairobi club late on Friday night.
Police had received a tip-off that a bar was still operating at around 1.10am, and officers who responded to the call found Sakaja and 10 other people outside, drinking.
Despite being advised to leave, Sakaja declined, prompting the police team leader to call her bosses, who also failed to convince the lawmaker to depart.
As the situation escalated, Kilimani deputy commander Adan Hassan was dispatched to the bar, where six people present left, leaving Sakaja and three others.
The three individuals, however, refused to give their names for processing, police said.
After being granted police bond on Saturday morning, Sakaja was asked to return later in the day for processing ahead of arraignment.
However, when Sakaja failed to show up at the Kilimani Police Station, police said they tried to call him, but his phone was switched off.
Detectives visited his house along Dennis Pritt Road, where they found his car parked and his mobile phone in the house, suggesting that he had been whisked away to safety.
Police camped at the senator's house until late in the evening as they pursued other means of tracking Sakaja.
It was then that a top government official intervened, ordering the police to stand down until today or tomorrow.
However, the officers insisted that the senator should go to the station and complete the process of his release.
Nairobi police boss Philip Ndolo said Sakaja was supposed to record a statement regarding the incident at Ladies' Lounge in Kilimani.
“He agreed to come back and complete this process, but now he cannot be reached. We still want him here,” Ndolo said.
Lawyer Cliff Ombeta, who is representing two employees of Ladies' Lounge, said that the senator's absence was causing problems for his clients.
“Two women who work only during the day at the lounge are still in custody at Kilimani. They cannot be released because Sakaja cannot be found,” Ombeta said.
The senator is required to report back at the station to be processed for court, and other innocent persons have been arrested as collateral so that he appears.
It is worth noting that Sakaja has been accused of inciting some of those present to defy police orders to leave the bar and threatening to have all police officers at Kilimani transferred within 24 hours.
“Never been arrested. Won't be. Show me an OB Number,” Sakaja tweeted.
Ironically, Sakaja chairs a senate ad hoc committee on Covid-19 that collected views on the Pandemic Response and Management Bill, 2020.
